The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has clarified how a long hospital stay affects someone's Personal Independence Payment (PIP) payments and entitlement. The benefit to help with the extra living costs of those who have a long-term condition or disability which makes it difficult for them to do certain everyday tasks or get around.
Going into hospital or a care home is one of the changes of circumstances that people who get PIP must immediately report to the DWP. Any of these changes must be reported straight away and failing to do so can result in having to pay back money (if they've been overpaid), fines or even court action.
The clarification came after Labour MP Beth Winter submitted a question to the DWP about whether its policy to suspend PIP payments when a claimant is hospitalised for more than 28 days may put off people seeking medical care. In response, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove, insisted there is "no evidence" that this is the case, reported the Daily Record.
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In his written response, the DWP minister wrote that when someone is receiving daily care from the NHS in hospital, their payments stop but their entitlement does not. He added that PIP payments restart when they are discharged from hospital.
Mr Pursglove wrote: "Where an adult aged 18 or over is maintained free of charge, while undergoing medical or other treatment as an in-patient in a hospital or similar institution funded by the NHS, payment of (but not entitlement to) Personal Independence Payment (PIP) ceases after 28 days.
"This is on the basis that the NHS is responsible for not only the person’s medical care, but also the entirety of their disability-related extra costs and, to pay PIP in addition, would be a duplication of public funds intended for the same purpose. Once someone is discharged from hospital, payment of PIP recommences from the date of discharge."
He added: "We have no evidence that the policy may affect an individual’s decisions to seek medical care."
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